Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6
RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
I second that... quattro on wet hills makes a world of difference. I'd keep looking... I'm sure you can quattro it in that price range, too. I got my 96 12v quattro with 91k for $6300 less than 2 months ago. I was looking for a 5-speed, but I saw many automatics, some with the 1.8t if you want, with as many or fewer miles that were within $1,500 of that.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 30
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RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
offer them 6500 and see what happens. The maintenance will cost more then the integra, but it sounds like the big stuff has alread been taken care of(timing belt) When you drive it listen for clunking noises that could be a sign of bad control arms like mentioned above. Good luck!
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 219
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RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
Where are you guys finding control arms for 500 dollers? I need to replace mine... CLunky clunky...
stu
- Control Arms tend to fail at about 70k, but this is an open-ended issue. I've had mine stock for 98k and still no problems, but this has been issue for many owners. A set (a good one) will go for 500$ + labour (about 300 i think) unless you DIY.
stu
- Control Arms tend to fail at about 70k, but this is an open-ended issue. I've had mine stock for 98k and still no problems, but this has been issue for many owners. A set (a good one) will go for 500$ + labour (about 300 i think) unless you DIY.
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 134
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RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
a4r6
Go to ecstuning and you'll find some Febi or Meyle control arms within that price range. You get all the hardware and with a few extra bucks Tie Rods are also included.
One more thing, 2ndName: oil sludges. 1.8's need synthetic oil and regular oil changes (between 3-4k miles) with only FULLY SYNTHETIC oil. Check other threads and you'll see a lot about it.
Good luck!
Go to ecstuning and you'll find some Febi or Meyle control arms within that price range. You get all the hardware and with a few extra bucks Tie Rods are also included.
One more thing, 2ndName: oil sludges. 1.8's need synthetic oil and regular oil changes (between 3-4k miles) with only FULLY SYNTHETIC oil. Check other threads and you'll see a lot about it.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 26
RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
Hey guys, sorry I have not been replying. Been trying to work a few deals with a few different Audis. I even went and research some 98+ Passats since they are soo similars, haha. In any case, I understand that I will be looking to spend a few more dollars in regards of maintenance when compared to the current Integra that I drive.
But I made an offer for the Audi that I posted above in the first post and no go. So I am able to find a different one. This one is also a 97' Audi A4 1.8T. However, this one has 77K miles, white on black or blue, is something dark. I saw the pictures and it looks promising. The price is established at $6400 which is pretty good considering the miles, yea? He was actually asking $7000.
His uncle owns an Indy shop in Sacramento and was the person fixing his car and etc. The timing belt has been changed out, however he does not have the receipt since it was his uncle who worked on it. Not sure if I can trust him on this or not. But he said I can call his uncle to ask about it. Also, if I was to purchase this, is there a way to tell if the Timing belt needs replacement by inspecting it, or do I just have to change it out?
I am really close in getting one...
But I made an offer for the Audi that I posted above in the first post and no go. So I am able to find a different one. This one is also a 97' Audi A4 1.8T. However, this one has 77K miles, white on black or blue, is something dark. I saw the pictures and it looks promising. The price is established at $6400 which is pretty good considering the miles, yea? He was actually asking $7000.
His uncle owns an Indy shop in Sacramento and was the person fixing his car and etc. The timing belt has been changed out, however he does not have the receipt since it was his uncle who worked on it. Not sure if I can trust him on this or not. But he said I can call his uncle to ask about it. Also, if I was to purchase this, is there a way to tell if the Timing belt needs replacement by inspecting it, or do I just have to change it out?
I am really close in getting one...
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 175
From:
RE: Cost of Maintenance - B5 A4
In regaurds to the quattro vs. fwd living in SF. I myself live in oakland, so i assume we can say similar enough, as i drive all over the bay area, and assume that you will, or at one point will.
My old old car (before the motor blew) was an '89 saab 900 turbo. I had it tuned up a bit, as you can adjust the boost levels w/o a chip, had a lowered suspension, and wider wheels. I consider this my comparison for my main fwd experiance, although, obviously, i'e drivne other fwd cars.
My dad's car is a e36 m3. After my cars motor blew, i spent a lot of time driving his car (while i still lived at home). This is my main comparrison for RWD cars.
My audi obviously is my main comparrison for the awd.
I have to say by far, i am loving the quattro over rwd and fwd driving experiances. I feel like there is a lot less throttle steer when compared to the m3, this is a plus or minus based on how you view it. FAR less understeer than fwd. Driving through the city in the stop and go, i understand that it seems like you could get away with any of the 3 orientations, however, if you ever venture out to the marin area, and go through those hills, you'd apreciate the quattro. I drove over panaramic just yesterday and dispite the rain and mudslides, the quattro was gripping w/o any faults.
Even if you don't venture on the bay area twisties whether recreationally, or for commute, i still recomend the quattro. When the rainy season hits, it hits hard, as you can tell, it's been raining for the last 25 days straight, and the roads are slick as hell. it's very nice to go through turns and not see that traction controll light flicker on, or worrying about over gassing it through the turns (a frequent problem in the wet wiht the m3), and in the saab, i often found issues with understeer in the wet.
If you are at all a spirited driver, i say go for the quattro, as you'll be thanking yourself later. It'll make your driving experiance that much more fun. A few more dollars spent here, will equal that many more smiles down the road. Don't skimp now just because you're eager to ge tyour new car. I was scanning auto trader and craigslist for almost 3 months before i finally found an audi that fit my requirements.
A bit of recomendaiton w/ craigslist. When you find one htat meets the initial requirements, call, don't email. The good ones go fast. I had 4 cars slip past me b/c they sold within the first 3 days of being posted. I bought mine, and it was the 2nd day it was posted, and i beat out a buyer by being willing to show up late on a saturday to beat their 8am sunday monring visit.
good luck, and happy shopping.
My old old car (before the motor blew) was an '89 saab 900 turbo. I had it tuned up a bit, as you can adjust the boost levels w/o a chip, had a lowered suspension, and wider wheels. I consider this my comparison for my main fwd experiance, although, obviously, i'e drivne other fwd cars.
My dad's car is a e36 m3. After my cars motor blew, i spent a lot of time driving his car (while i still lived at home). This is my main comparrison for RWD cars.
My audi obviously is my main comparrison for the awd.
I have to say by far, i am loving the quattro over rwd and fwd driving experiances. I feel like there is a lot less throttle steer when compared to the m3, this is a plus or minus based on how you view it. FAR less understeer than fwd. Driving through the city in the stop and go, i understand that it seems like you could get away with any of the 3 orientations, however, if you ever venture out to the marin area, and go through those hills, you'd apreciate the quattro. I drove over panaramic just yesterday and dispite the rain and mudslides, the quattro was gripping w/o any faults.
Even if you don't venture on the bay area twisties whether recreationally, or for commute, i still recomend the quattro. When the rainy season hits, it hits hard, as you can tell, it's been raining for the last 25 days straight, and the roads are slick as hell. it's very nice to go through turns and not see that traction controll light flicker on, or worrying about over gassing it through the turns (a frequent problem in the wet wiht the m3), and in the saab, i often found issues with understeer in the wet.
If you are at all a spirited driver, i say go for the quattro, as you'll be thanking yourself later. It'll make your driving experiance that much more fun. A few more dollars spent here, will equal that many more smiles down the road. Don't skimp now just because you're eager to ge tyour new car. I was scanning auto trader and craigslist for almost 3 months before i finally found an audi that fit my requirements.
A bit of recomendaiton w/ craigslist. When you find one htat meets the initial requirements, call, don't email. The good ones go fast. I had 4 cars slip past me b/c they sold within the first 3 days of being posted. I bought mine, and it was the 2nd day it was posted, and i beat out a buyer by being willing to show up late on a saturday to beat their 8am sunday monring visit.
good luck, and happy shopping.
